September 26, 2012

Here's the trailer for CloudKid's upcoming iOS game Negative Nimbus. The trailer was Directed by Mike Annear and Dave Schlafman, and animated by the talented Mike Nordstrom using Flash and AfterEffects. The game was conceived during their very first game jam, and has been a real labor of love for everyone at CloudKid. On the website there is also a development blog about the making of the game and it's animation.

Check this out!
Stephen's draws for a children's comic book series called Mal and Chad and currently works on a series of essays on creative sustainability.
Here's a sample of his works, a strip called "Proactive Not Reactive".

Soundsnap.comComments: Thousands of free sound effects and loops, with tagged browsing. Limitations: Free for commercial and non-commercial use, but must comply with their terms of use (attribution optional, but no reselling unless part of a complete work). See the copyright/legal section at the bottom of the FAQ for more information.

FlashZenComments: Great collection of music loops meant specifically for use in Flash audio. Limitations: Check the site's Creative Commons license for attribution requirements.

FlashKitComments: Among other things, FlashKit offers a large collection of audio loops and effects for use in Flash movies. Limitations: Read the usage guidelines for the different usage rights for various tracks.

IncompetechComments: Browse by feel or genre. Music only. Limitations: Music must be credited in your work. Author (Kevin Macloed) requests a $5 donation to support the site, but not required.

Common ContentComments: Searchable catalog of work licensed under Creative Commons; includes images and movies as well. Limitations: Check details on each audio download for licensing and attribution requirements under Creative Commons.

RoyaltyFreeMusic.comComments: Music, loops, beats, sound effects, even ringtones. Limitations: Only the sound clips on the page provided are free. Everything else on the site is paid.

CCMixterComments: A site containing remixes licensed under Creative Commons. It can be a little confusing to figure out how to download in MP3 format, but you'll get there. Limitations: Check the Creative Commons license associated with each track before you use it. According to the FAQ, most of the music on the site is free and legal for any use, anywhere, but you're advised to check individual tracks for different licensing and restrictions.

Free-Loops.comComments: A wide variety of downloadable loops and audio clips. Limitations: Site says “free for personal use only” at the very bottom. May be restrictions for commercial use.

SoundSourceComments: Sounds, effects, and music samples. Check the upper right hand corner to switch the language to English if you get lost. Limitations: Check Creative Commons licensing for attribution requirements; some rights reserved.

NewGrounds AudioComments: Anything from midi loops to wav remixes to voice audio clips – some good, some downright awful. Limitations: Check each track for licensing and attribution requirements. Be aware that users on Newgrounds may create remixes/loops without permission of the original copyright holder.

LjudoComments: Over 1200 searchable, royalty-free sound effects in MP3 and RealPlayer format (people still use RealPlayer?) If you keep clicking your language and wondering why you're not getting anywhere, look for the little button at the bottom that says “Got the right language? Click here!” Limitations: Check Creative Commons licensing for attribution requirements.

Here's the last two clips that was made for the Sergio Pablos Masterclass (former Animation Supervisor at Disney). In these two sessions, Sergio talks about the importance of a well developed character design and how important it is to create believable physics while being complementary to the acting.